Boston Celtics Primed to Go On a Long Run

After an inconsistent start to the season for the Boston Celtics, it appeared as though it would be difficult for them to put together long stretches of wins. The Celtics took their time to prove that they can win multiple difficult games in a row but after a three game winning streak against the Hawks, the Thunder and the Rockets, they have proven that they can continually defeat tough opponents.

The Celtics are currently on a three game winning streak and it should get a lot longer. The Celtics’ next 8 opponents will include one team at the caliber of the teams they just played and that is another meeting against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Mavericks have also been a surprising team this year and that is their next opponent. If the Celtics can defeat both the Mavericks, and then later on, the Hawks again, they could not only get back on top of the division but they could get separation from the Raptors.

Other than the Hawks and the Mavericks the Celtics are playing the Nets twice, the 76ers, the Wizards, the Magic, the Heat and the Kings. The Heat and the Wizards will also be challenging but there is no doubting that these are all winnable games for the Celtics. Will they extend their three game winning streak to a 12 game winning streak? While it is doubtful, with the way the Celtics come out each and every week, it cannot be ruled out.

No matter who their opponent is, the Celtics do not take a night off. If a player is struggling, then Stevens has plenty of other options off the bench. The Celtics are not only fresher than their opponents because of their rotation but they are more energized because of how draining it is to play their defense.

Nov 16, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens watches Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) dribble against Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner (11) in the second half at Toyota Center. Celtics won 111 to 95. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics are riding with more momentum and confidence than most teams in the NBA and with them starting to get things going on the offensive end, they should string together a lot of wins over this stretch. While the Celtics are winning mostly because of their defense, the offensive improvement has been key too.

The Celtics were beyond disastrous shooting the three ball to start the season and injuries to Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley did not help. Both Smart and Bradley are incredibly involved on the offensive end. They attempt the second and third most three pointers per game and Bradley has been the most effective in the team shooting 38.9% from that range.

The Celtics have been a top 10 scoring team and that is with nobody shooting 40% from three point range and with Kelly Olynyk, Marcus Smart, Evan Turner, Jae Crowder and R.J Hunter all shooting below 30% from three. The Celtics appear to have hit their stride on the scoreboard but have a tremendous amount of room to improve on the offensive end.

With Isaiah Thomas finally starting to shoot the ball well while remaining the best passer in the team, the Celtics’ offense may be about ready to catch up to their defense. If the Celtics continue to play this way on the defensive end and find their offensive form then winning the next 8 straight games can be an actual possibility. The Celtics cannot expect to be firing on all cylinders every game but if they do not let up on the defensive end then anything that happens on offense will be a bonus.

There is no doubting that the Celtics will need stronger offense to win games this season but with the momentum they are currently riding this should be the best stretch on both ends of the court for the Celtics. Even without being at their best on the offensive end it will take a great game to score enough in the Celtics but if they can get going on offense then they should have no problem with any team outside of the elite, and they will be able to keep up with those elite teams.

The most important thing for the Celtics this season will be consistency. The good news is that as long as the Celtics continue to play with the same kind of energy and fire they will remain consistent on the defensive end. Offensive consistency is the much larger question and it will be the key to the Celtics climbing up the NBA ranks.

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Defense will carry the Celtics far enough but with a lot of young players still getting comfortable in Stevens’ great system it may only be a matter of time before the offensive is carrying them to victories. The Wizards game may be the only game where the Celtics won more because of offense than defense but if they plan on going on a long winning streak, more of those victories will have to be because of their offense.

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